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30 Ways to Use Coconut Oil in Everyday Life

A traditional staple in the Asian Pacific, coconut oil has a checkered history in the western world. Once mislabeled as a harmful saturated fat, raw, organic coconut oil is now widely recognized as not only a healthy culinary oil, but also an amazing natural supplement for disease prevention and optimal health.

In The Coconut Oil Miracle, author Bruce Fife states, “Eating coconut oil may be a simple solution to many illnesses we face today. Laboratory tests have shown that the MCFAs (medium-chain fatty acids) found in coconut oil are effective in destroying the viruses that cause influenza, measles, herpes, mononucleosis, hepatitis C, and AIDS; bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers, throat infections, pneumonia, sinusitis, earache, rheumatic fever, dental cavities, food poisoning, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea, and toxic shock syndrome; fungi and yeast that lead to ringworm, candida, and thrush; and parasites that can cause intestinal infections such as giardiasis.

“The marvelous thing about using coconut oil to treat or prevent these conditions is that while coconut oil is deadly to disease-causing microorganisms, it is harmless to humans. The fatty acids that make coconut oil so effective against germs are the same ones nature has put into mother’s milk to protect children. Human breast milk and the milk of other mammals all contain small amounts of MCFAs. This is why butter, which is concentrated milk fat, also contains MCFAs. Breast milk, with its medium-chain fatty acids, protects the newborn baby from harmful germs while its immune system is still developing, its most vulnerable time in life. This is one of the reasons why coconut oil or MCFAs are added to infant formula. A mother who consumes coconut oil will have more MCFAs in her milk to help protect and nourish her baby. If it’s safe enough for a newborn baby, it is safe enough for us. Nature made MCFAs to nourish and protect us against infectious illnesses” (pp. 69–70).

Bruce Fife wrote an earlier book titled Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut. This work is based on what he and a Filipino friend, Porfirio Pallan “Paul” Sorse, found about how coconut helps with many health conditions (using the meat, milk, water, and oil). Fife offers many recipes, formulas, remedies, and suggestions. He discusses how to pick good coconuts and extract meat, milk, water, and oil from them. He also outlines what to look for when buying coconut products. Some of his usage suggestions:

30 Ways to Use Coconut Oil in Everyday Life

Cooking: Use as a substitute for vegetable oil, olive oil, or butter. For a dipping chocolate, add a little coconut oil to melted chocolate chips. Or use coconut oil instead of cocoa butter in chocolate recipes. Make coconut-lime popcorn by combining coconut oil with a few drops of lime oil and a little honey instead of butter. Fife recommends eating 3 1/2 Tbsp. of coconut oil daily to maintain good health.

Hair Conditioner: Coconut oil helps repair damaged hair. Apply 1–2 tsp. of coconut oil to hair (particularly to the ends). Leave in at least 15–30 minutes before shampooing. You can leave also it in overnight.

Dandruff Treatment: Mix 1 tsp. coconut oil with 3 drops lavender or wintergreen essential oil, and then lightly massage the blend into the scalp. Let sit for a few minutes before shampooing.

Shaving Cream: Smooth coconut oil over legs before shaving. It will act as both a shaving cream and after-shave moisturizer.

Massage Oil: Use coconut oil alone or combine it with another oil such as sweet almond oil (2 parts coconut, 1 part almond) to give the massage oil a little more lubrication, since coconut oil absorbs quickly into the skin. This combination is safe to use on babies.

Acne: Apply a thin layer of coconut oil, and massage it into the skin after washing your face with soap and water. At first, your complexion may get worse as toxins are expelled from the skin. But if you continue applying coconut oil every morning, your skin will improve significantly.

Toothpaste: Mix a bit of coconut oil with baking soda (and add 1–2 drops peppermint essential oil) to make an all-natural whitening toothpaste. For infants and toddlers, simply use coconut oil alone for a healthy, effective toothpaste that they don’t have to spit out.

Mouthwash: Mix a little coconut oil with 1 drop lemon, orange, or peppermint essential oil, and swish the mixture around your mouth to help freshen your breath. After several minutes, spit the coconut oil into a garbage can. (Do not spit in the sink, or the oil may clog the pipes.)

Sunscreen/Suntan Oil: Rub a layer of coconut oil on all exposed areas of skin, and allow it to soak in before going out into the sun. This helps protect the skin from burning rays and may also help absorb tanning rays.

Wood Conditioner: Rub coconut oil on wooden utensils to help condition them. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil to help sanitize wood cutting boards and utensils.

Bug Bite Soother: Rub a little coconut oil on bug bites to help soothe the irritation. Fife states that warmed coconut oil will work faster since it penetrates quicker and deeper than cold coconut oil. For convenience, you can also make soothing bug bite sticks.

Insect Repellent: Combine coconut oil with peppermint oil and rub all over your exposed skin to help keep bugs away.

Bruises and Minor Burns: Apply something cold (ice for bruises; cold, wet cloth for burns) for 10–15 minutes. Then gently apply a layer of coconut oil. Reapply oil 4–8 times a day, or every couple of hours, until the pain is gone or until healed.

Dry Nasal Passages: Put a dab of coconut oil in each nostril. Then lie down, and let the oil drain into the sinuses to rehydrate them.

Excess Ear Wax: Lie down on your side or back. Using an eye dropper filled with warm coconut oil, put several drops into the ear canal. Move your jaw around to work the oil down into the canal. The oil will loosen the ear wax and allow it to move out on its own. Repeat as often as necessary.

Indigestion: For acute cases of indigestion, take 2 Tbsp. of coconut oil internally. If needed, take 1 Tbsp. again 6 hours later.

1 thought on “30 Ways to Use Coconut Oil in Everyday Life”

Yes I read the book and I was impressed with it what I did read of it I haven’t read that much of it but what I have I like it and I really enjoyed what it was saying about coconut oil I just want to say thank you for writing it